We judge, Jesus saves… (John 3:17) 101008
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. (John 3:17)
The most favorite verse in the Bible for our new age generation is Matthew 7:1 (you go and find out what it is). We live in a world where there is no absolute standard and what are almost like the people living in the days of Judges: everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Jud 21:25). And we Christians, especially the Evangelicals, desire the world to have a standard moral system base on the authority of the Word of God, and we begin to judge others by the way we interpret the Scripture.
I am not against having a standard moral system for the people of God to abide and live by. Unless we live according to the Word of God, we cannot please God. But when we judge others, we are being judged too at the same time. We are judged by the way we judge others. We are judged when we condemn homosexuality while we condone ourselves while we are looking at bikini models in the sports cars magazines. We are judged when we despised those who are not tithing while we are satisfied with our ten percent giving and ignored the beggar whom we pass by day in and day out at the MRT station. We are judged by the way we judge others.
Therefore, we leave the judging to Jesus. But He says that He did not come into the world to judge, but to save. I have problem with such statement in the Bible. How can Jesus let the crook who raped and murdered to get away and not be caught? How can Jesus let the manufacturer who produced tainted and poisonous dairy product to simply get scot-free by simply paying some compensation? How can Jesus allow bailout for those banks and financial institutes while they are living in extravagant at a spa resort but causing the world economic to go into a crisis and many lives will deeply affected? We want justice. We want Jesus to give us justice. We want Jesus to judge them! We want them to be judged severely by Jesus. But Jesus did not come to judge, but to save.
After a long pondering of this truth, I come to realize and understand what Jesus meant here. I think you may already understand; it is just that I am slower in understanding Jesus. We are already judged by our deeds. When we do not believe in Jesus, we are judge (v18). There is no need for Jesus to really judge us again. When we click onto a pornography website, our conscience quicken by the Holy Spirit will tell us that we are being judged; but Jesus saves and forgive when we ask for forgiveness and repent. When we ignore the beggar at the MRT station, Matthew 25:31-46 will inform you that we are being judged; but Jesus saves and bring someone else to demonstrate to you what it meant to love others. When we rather spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy a car than peeling off sufficient parking coupons, the mentioning of “Aunty Fatimah” (a nick name I give to car park warden: I think I am judge for stereotyping) will bring our mind to the realization that we are being judged; but Jesus saves though He will not pay for the fines.
We are already judge. There is no need for Jesus to judge, therefore, Jesus saves. The next time when we want to comment or criticize someone else, check our motives first, we are being judged. The next time we want to say any unkind words to those who are mean to us, hold back our tongues, we are being judged. But the good news is that Jesus saves. We Christians will have this assurance that Jesus who have the right to judge, but does not choose to judge but rather extend His grace to us, so that we can be saved. We judge, Jesus saves. We are judged, but Jesus saves. Are you saved by Jesus? Or are you still under the judgment of your own deeds?
HHS…
Abel…
